Money from Storro fund will be returned, bank says

By Bob Albrecht
A spokesman with Riverview Community Bank, which hosted a fund to assist Bethany Storro, said efforts are underway to return money to donors “whose overwhelming support was not a surprise to us.”

“We are working with the local authorities to identify the donors, and we will be in contact with the Safeway management, which is really the one that spearheaded this fundraising account, to determine the best course of action,” said Kim Capeloto, Riverview’s executive vice president in charge of operations and marketing.

He said he could not disclose the amount donated to Storro, who confessed to Vancouver Police on Thursday she fabricated her story of an Aug. 30 acid attack near Esther Short Park. Donations, he said, came from all over the country.

The account was established by Safeway Inc. It was opened at the urging of employees who worked with Storro at the Safeway grocery store in Washougal.

“No matter the outcome, it’s a tragic story,” Capeloto said. “We certainly feel for the individuals that have been impacted, from friends to family. The support of the community was not a surprise to us. We would expect to see the same level of support from the community in the future should additional causes arise.”

http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/sep/17/money-storro-fund-willl-be-returned-bank-says/